The present invention relates to weighing apparatuses, and, more particularly, to facilitating reading of a weighing apparatus having a moving indicator.
Weighing apparatuses, such as bathroom scales, have been known in the art for many years. Such devices are employed to provide a visual indication of the weight of an object, such as a person, which is placed upon a load-receiving platform. One type of these weighing apparatuses commonly include a housing, a load-receiving platform, a weighing mechanism, a dial bearing various indicia, and an indicator for indicating specific dial indicia corresponding to the weight of a load placed upon the platform.
Two popular forms of bathroom scales are stationary dial scales and stationary indicator scales. Stationary indicator scales generally include a relatively small viewing region in the housing, with an indicator fixed in the center of the viewing region. The dial rotates in response to the placement of a load upon the platform, and eventually comes to rest with the indicia corresponding to the weight of the present load being visible below the stationary indicator. A magnifier, such as a clear plastic lens, is sometimes placed in a fixed position over the entire viewing region. The indicator is often integrated into the magnifier, such as by painting a stripe along the upper or lower surface of the magnifier. In addition, the viewing region is sometimes illuminated, such as by the placement of a light source near the relatively small viewing region.
Stationary dial scales generally include a relatively large viewing region in the housing, sometimes approximately equal in area to the size of the dial. The dial may be circular or arcuate in shape with the indicator extending from the approximate center of the dial outwardly, towards indicia placed near the circumference of the dial. When the platform is in a non-load bearing state, the indicator remains proximate to the "0" indicia. Upon placement of a load upon the platform, the indicator rotates, until the end of the indicator opposite the center of the dial comes to rest near the dial indicia which corresponds to the weight of the load.
Unlike stationary indicator scales, the configuration of stationary dial scales presents particular problems with respect to magnifying and lighting the dial indicia corresponding to the weight of a load placed upon the platform. The dial indicia of certain stationary dial scales, such as bathroom scale models, are often viewed from a significant distance, approximately the height of a user standing upon the platform. Accordingly, it is often desirable to magnify the viewing region of stationary dial scales.
However, magnification of the entire viewing region of a stationary dial scale is not as aesthetically pleasing as with magnifying the entire viewing region of a stationary indicator scale. Unlike with stationary indicator scales, which typically have relatively small viewing regions, magnification of the entire viewing region of a stationary dial scale does not serve to highlight only the specific indicia of the dial proximate to the present position of the indicator. Rather, the entire dial, including portions of the dial and indicia remote from the present position of the indicator, is visably enlarged whenever the entire viewing region is magnified.
The present invention overcomes the shortcomings of magnifying the entire viewing region of a stationary dial weighing apparatus. Rather, the present invention employs a novel magnifier for magnifying only a limited portion of the face of the dial in proximity to the indicator. This magnifier serves to highlight the specific indicia of the face of the dial near the position of the indicator.
Illuminated stationary indicator scales are well known in the art. In such scales, a light source is placed near the relatively small viewing region. Illuminated rotating indicators are also known in the art, particularly in the area of gauges for automobiles or the like. One shortcoming of such prior art devices is the requirement for an additional switch, to allow electricity to conduct to a lamp or other light source associated with the indicator, whenever the indicator is in operation. With respect to weighing apparatus, these switches are generally of the pressure-sensitive variety, activating upon the placement of a load upon the platform. With respect to prior art illuminated rotating indicators, these switches are generally manually operated, such as the ignition switch or "lights" switch of an automobile.
The present invention overcomes the prior art's requirement of an additional switch mechanism by incorporating the illumination control switch into conductive members used to electrically couple an illuminated rotating indicator to a power source. As a result, the present invention employs fewer components, and fewer moving parts, than prior art weighing apparatuses with illuminated rotating indicators.